The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1887-03-24
THE SILK STRIKE.

One OF the most disastrous strikes that
has occurred Il tely, IS that which IS now
on in the silk mills Of Paterson. New
Jersey. This is the great silk manufsc-
turing centre OF America. It has taken
many years OF patient LABOR and vast
amount OF money to establish and build
up the business to its present dimen-
sions and Aourishing coalition. There
are sixty silk mills in the city, and
these employ $4,000 hands, paying out
between $4,000 and $4,000 weekly.
Paterson depends almost solely on the
silk factories for local business.
Early in the year, when it was popu-
lar to strike, the fever seized upon some
of the agitators in Paterson, and they
set to work to induce the dyers to go
out. There are only !, 200 OF them, but
the manufacture is so dependent upon
them thatEhen they stop work $1,000
hands must also quit. The strike was
inaugurated on February 9Th, against
the protests of nine-tenths of the en-
ployees outside the dyers, and con
tiuues without the prospect of letting
up. TIE New FORK Commercial Bulletin
recently sent correspondent to Pater-
son, and he gives detailed account of
the cause and progress of the strike.
1t is learned from him that about year
ago the wages of the dyers were ad-
Vanced 40 per cent. and the employees
were content. The knights of Labor,
last winter, seeing the important rela-
ton which the dyers occupied |
to the business, determined to |
gain absolute control of the employers |
and of the manufacture of silk in this |
country. To do this, the dyers were
induced to make outrageous and I'M
reas enable demands. Without assigning
any reason for their action the Overs
left work suddenly, and then submitted
a schedule of conditions. They de-
manded that the smallest wages should |
be SIS a week; that helpers should re- |
ceive not less than $40 week; that a |
mill should engage no more than than
three apprentices at a time, or more
than one for each hundred men en-
ployed and that q days work should
be ten hours except on Saturday when
five hours should be day. The first
condition was as follows: This shall
be q union shop, and no man shall be
employed in it unless he is member
OF the Knights of Labor in good stand
ing"
Very naturally and very properly the
employers refused TO comply with the
conditions. They said they would not
discriminate against members of any
labor organization, but they proposed
to manage their own business and
not submit to dictation by sn EN-
ployee or labor society; they asserted
their intention to employ and discharge
whomsoever they pleased. With this
response matters came to crisis.
Some mills were obliged to close at
once, and others have been gradually
closing untiLlast week but ten of the
sixty were running, and these will have
W bIOp dS oOO1 oo I!ClI is |
worked Up.
The wickedness of this strike becomes
manifest when it is known that
the lockout was caused and is main
tanned by a bare majority of 1000
dyers, who keep 1900 men and women
from earning living, and deprive
double that number of the necessaries
OF life. Not only do these vicious Divers {
rob honest and willing men and women
of the right to labor for satisfactory
wages, but they are bringing disaster
to q young but growing and important
Industry. The silk trade is going back
tC France and England, and it will take
a long time TO recover it as it took
years to acquire t in the first place.
Actions of this character drive INTEL
Lteent, honest sympathy from strikers
and from labor organizations which
order and couutenance such outrsges.
TIE UTAH Commission is adv ertisine